Abduction
by Jellyneau
Summary: AU - Rose, Jack and the 10th are travelling together, never having been separated after 10's regeneration. The Doctor wants to show Rose a wondrous phenomenon, but they find themselves held captive by creatures who only want to show them that pain comes in all forms. Plot, Whump & Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Rose," the Doctor whined, holding the TARDIS door open expectantly. "It'll be morning in a few hours here and at this rate we'll miss it!"

"Hold on, for heaven's sake," Rose said, stepping out the door to stand beside him on the springy grass. She relished the feel beneath her feet. She, Jack and the Doctor had been holed up on a Sontaran Battle Cruiser for the last few days and while space travel was always thrilling (and often life threatening), there was nothing like the feel of a planet beneath your feet. Taking in his slightly cranky expression, Rose poked him in the ribs. "Sheesh! Impatient, are we?" she teased, poking her pink tongue out through her smile, knowing he could never resist it.

"Oi!" the Doctor frowned in mock affront. "Watch the ribs! This body is delicate!" Though he was trying to look grumpy, she knew she had him. Finally he grinned, giving in and completely losing any impatience. She did know how to disarm him.

"Where are we?" Rose asked, as the Doctor took her hand. He smiled at her knowingly and pulled her along a little path that lead to a riverbank. Laying out a towel that had been slung over his shoulder he gestured toward it in a flourish. "Madamoiselle," he said formally, inviting her to sit.

"Why, merci, my good man!" Rose grinned and sat down on the soft blanket. "So, Mr. Mysterious. What planet are we on, and why are we sitting by a river in the middle of the night?" Rose wondered, watching him as he joined her on the blanket.

"Well, that's the question, isn't it?" the Doctor teased. "Look around you. Where do you think we might be?"

Rose did as she was bid. Spreading out like a sparkling blanket in front of them was a fast moving river, and in the bright moonlight she was able to make out tall pines and various other tree varieties on either side. The ground beneath the blanket was littered with rocks and sand. A chilly wind bit through her jacket, making her hug herself against it. "Well," she said, taking his challenge, "from the looks of it, it seems we're on earth. It's hard to tell, but I think those are pine trees, yeah? So, Northern Hemisphere? I'm guessing... Russia, maybe?" she tried, tilting her head in question.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. Smart girl.

"Okay," Rose continued, "and...I don't see any city lights anywhere near, so either we're not too close to a big city... _or_ we're where a city _will be?_"

"Sometimes, you amaze me, Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, gazing at her serenely. He almost seemed in awe. Rose had seen him give her that look a few times in their time together, and each time it made her melt. _Oh, knock it off, Tyler_, he scolded herself. _You're reading too much into it. He's probably looked at dozens of his companions that way._ Her self esteem didn't appreciate that thought much and she scowled slightly. The Doctor had already looked away, though and didn't notice her slight change in mood.

"We are indeed on earth, but we're not in Russia," the Doctor clarified. "We're in Canada. Northern Alberta. 1928. This is the boreal forest and we're sitting on the bank of the Athabasca River. In 100 years time, there'll be over 100 000 people living here and the shore will be littered with debris and the water won't be safe to drink thanks to humans' insatiable need for oil." He paused momentarily, brooding. "_But_... for now, we don't have to worry about any of that," he said, snapping himself out of his reverie. "In fact, I brought you here for the express purpose of _not_ worrying about anything!" he smiled. Rose loved it when he smiled. He was completely mesmerizing when he _wasn't_ grinning, but when he did... he honestly took her breath away. She sighed contentedly, drinking him in. Feeling a little guilty for thinking it, she was secretly happy that Jack was hungover from their celebration after their last adventure, leaving her and the Doctor alone for a while. Not that anything would happen. This was the Doctor, after all. But a girl could dream.

Realizing she was staring, she looked down at her hands quickly and tried to focus on making conversation. "So why here and now?" she said, looking up at him again, realizing he was still looking at her. She smiled goofily in response to his continued stare.

"You'll find out in about...two minutes," he said, waggling his eyebrows. "But we need to do something in order to fully enjoy the experience," he said lowering his voice. Kneeling to face her, he reached out to gently place his hands on her shoulders. Her breath hitched. "May I?" he breathed.

_May I? Of course you may!_ Rose thrilled, not knowing exactly where this was going, but hoping it might be somewhere good. "Sure," she said softly, looking into his dark eyes and allowing herself to sink into them. He looked almost shyly back at her and gently put pressure on her shoulders to encourage her to lie back. She did, her breath quickening. Finally on her back, the Doctor leaned back alongside her, his elbow propping him up on his side.

"I think you'll like this, Rose," he said quietly. His gaze lingered for a moment on her mouth.

Almost overwhelmed with anticipation, Rose stopped breathing altogether.

That's when he lay back on his back completely, his head on the blanket even with hers, his eyes focused above them staring up at the stars.

_What the hell?_ Rose thought, confused. Remembering she'd stopped breathing, she let air drop leadenly into her deflated lungs. _Shit._

Suddenly, a corner of the sky above them lit up in a brilliant green and white. The light waved and morphed from green to a purpley-pink and moved slowly into a blue. The spectacle expanded and filled the sky until their vision was full of winding colours. Having momentarily forgotten her frustration with this impossible alien, Rose drank in the brilliance playing in the sky above them.

"It's called the aurora borealis, or the 'Northern Lights'," the Doctor informed her. "They're caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the thermosphere. You see, the charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, wha wha magnetic field wha whaaa wha..."

Rose had tuned out. Not because he was boring, but because he'd pretty much lost her at 'thermosphere'. That, and the fact that she found his voice thoroughly distracting. She tried to interject the occasional 'Hmmm' or 'Yeah?', hoping she was doing so at the right times.

"...access of the magnetic dipole," the Doctor finished, matter-of-factly.

"They're beautiful," Rose said softly, enthralled by the swirling wash of colours.

After a few minutes of wonderous silence, Rose realized her mouth was hanging open and she probably looked like an idiot. Snapping her mouth shut, she snuck a peek at the Doctor, only to find him staring at her. Blushing at being caught with her mouth agape, Rose fought to think of something clever to say. "It's brilliant, Doctor. Thank-you for sharing it with me," she said. Not clever, but at least honest. She thrust her tongue between her teeth again in a girlish smile.

There was no doubt he took notice of her attempt to distract him again. Did he just lick his lips? _You're imagining things again_, Rose chastised herself.

"Ummm..." the Doctor cleared his throat, "yeah. It is pretty impressive, isn't it. And, you're welcome," he added quietly, pulling her hand into his.

Rose stopped breathing again. Damn it. How did he manage to do that to her? Make her swoon practically just by breathing. Trying to avoid looking _completely_ enamoured by him, she pulled her eyes back to look up at the sparkling lights above. They lay there for another 20 minutes or so, just gazing up at the incredible phenomenon dancing in the heavens above.

"We should probably head back to the TARDIS, Rose. You're shivering," the Doctor said, suddenly concerned. They sat up on the blanket and Rose was surprised to find she actually was shivering. She'd gotten so wrapped up with the miracle they were looking at and the fact that the Doctor's thumb was caressing her skin, that she hadn't noticed how cold she'd become. Standing, the Doctor shrugged out of his long coat and wrapped it around Rose's shoulders before (possessively?) hugging her to his side while at the same time encouraging her to walk with him. Having gotten a few feet from where they had been sitting, it occurred to Rose that they'd just left the blanket on the ground. Hmmm. Could it be that the Doctor was as distracted as she was? She wanted to believe that he was. With a soft smirk, she looked up at the Doctor as they continued walking. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked down. "What?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"Missin' anything?" she tested him, grinning.

"Missing?" he said, bewildered.

Rose stopped and looked back to where they'd come from.

"Oh!" he said, smiling. Rose giggled. "Don't wander off," he said in mock seriousness, releasing her shoulder. Rose laughed at this. Where was she going to go?

The Doctor turned and jogged back to their spot by the river, yanked the blanket from the ground, and shook it out as he turned to come back. As he approached he could make out Rose's blonde hair softly reflecting the moonlight. His Rose. She wasn't really, though, was she. The Doctor sighed inwardly. He really ought to be more careful around her, but he was finding it harder and harder lately to keep his distance. He wanted to blame Jack for encouraging this rash behaviour, but he knew in his heart that it wasn't really Jack's fault. He'd been drawn to Rose since he'd first met her. Shaking his head, he tried to push down his newfound libido. This body was especially sensitive to her presence. Not that his last regeneration didn't appreciate her, because he did. A lot. In fact, that's likely the very reason this body could barely resist her. She was all he was thinking about as he regenerated. And now, when she was with him, he seemed to lose all ability to be rational. _Get it together, for Rassilon's sake_, he scolded himself.

The Doctor was a few metres from Rose when, out of nowhere, a bright white light filled the sky directly above them and deep resonating buzz filled the air. Startled, they both froze. It was a ship, but the shape was difficult to make out with the light from above blazing in their eyes. Rose's terrified eyes found his in the glare. He might not know exactly who they were dealing with, but he knew what they needed to do right now.

"Rose! RUN!" he yelled above the hum. She didn't need telling twice, and turned to make a run for the TARDIS. It seemed, however, that the ship above read her intentions. In a split second, the buzz increased startlingly in pitch and the light became impossibly brighter. Rose vanished in front on the Doctor's eyes.

"ROSE!" the Doctor yelled. "NO!" he screamed at the ship above him.

"DOCTOR!" a voice shouted through the din, barely reaching the Doctor's ears.

Startling him, the Doctor searched around to find Jack's silhouette against the trees. "Jack! Stay back!" the Doctor yelped, holding his hands out in front of him to further warn of the danger. Just then, the pitch of the menacing buzz rose again as did the brilliance of the light. The Doctor was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for your reviews and faves! This chapter gets a bit whumpy, so hold on tight...**

* * *

Finding himself standing in a closed capsule, lit brightly on the inside from above, the Doctor tried to find a release of some kind to open the casing. The walls of the capsule were clouded but somewhat transparent, and he knew that, while he wasn't able to see much outside his small prison, he was being watched from the other side.

"Right then," the Doctor started, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I'd appreciate meeting you face to face at your earliest convenience." The Doctor waited for a reply. None came. "Helloooo!" the Doctor sang, rolling his eyes heavenward. Still no reply. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw movement. A shadow shifting just outside his cage. "Hey!" the Doctor shouted, trying to get his hosts to come closer. Slowly, a dark shape seemed to be approaching. No - make that two shapes. The figures drew nearer until both stood just outside the casing of the capsule. The Doctor could barely make out their outlines through the clouded casing. Both were at least seven feet tall. The outline of their heads revealed them to be rather large and possibly hairless. Their large craniums sat atop of slim necks and narrow, thin bodies. Deep voices grumbled from outside the wall but the Doctor was unable to make out any words. "Oi!" he called trying to get their attention.

Suddenly, the Doctor began to detect a minute change in the air around him. "Hold up, there, gentlemen... is that...is that Metragon I smell?" The Doctor began to panic. "Listen... you don't have to do this, you know. Just ask... I can be agreeable. Often. Weellll... o.k... sometimes. But really, you don't need to...need to...to..." the Doctor's voice trailed off. Not that he iwanted/i it to trail off. He _wanted_ to talk them into submission. He _wanted_ to start yelling and screaming that they release him _this moment_. Instead, he stood stock-still and quiet as a church mouse. The drug was winning.

Designed to make those who are subjected to it compliant, Metragon was essentially a thief of will. The body of the person under its influence became completely suggestible. Knowing its purpose, the doctor closed his eyes and willed himself to fight its effects. On humans it would last hours. Hopefully it's effects would be much shorter lived in a Time Lord. As the drug permeated the air around him he felt himself losing his fight. Feeling his traitorous body surrender and unhinge itself from his control, the Doctor tried to stay calm.

Just then the door of his little cell opened, the cloudy reflective surface no longer blocking the view of his captors. He was right about their height. Tall buggers, they were. Their faces were what he found most intimidating though. Long drawn grey skinned faces with pulled, puckered skin where their mouths should have been. Their noses were twisted snarling voids. Dark, cavernous eyes took up a good part of their visage. They were, indeed, hairless. He'd seen more fearsome looking creatures in his day, but not many.

"Come," one of them said, it's voice deep and hollow. His body unable to resist, he felt himself following the creature. It was like being a guest in his own body. He could see, hear and smell everything, so it wasn't like watching a film in that sense. He could feel the ground beneath his feet and the cool air on his skin. He couldn't, however, entice his body to do his will. It was not only deeply frustrating, it was terrifying. As a Time Lord, he rarely felt out of control. In fact, he prided himself on generally being in control even when he found himself tied up, shackled, gagged, jailed, or floating helplessly in space without a TARDIS. This feeling was completely new to him and he had to say that he didn't like it. Not one bit. Trying to muster up enough willpower to tell them so, he found he was unable to. He was literally a prisoner in his own body.

And where was Rose? His mind started to race. Rose. He had seen other transport pods when he'd exited the one he'd arrived in, but he couldn't make out any bodies in any of them. What had they done with her?

"Sit," one of them said as they reached a metal table situated in the middle of an ill lit room. His body did as it was told. From where he sat the room looked to be some kind of lab. It was too dark to make out any of the equipment on the shelves behind the creatures that were controlling his every move. Where ever he was, he had a nasty feeling he wasn't going to leave with a sugarless sucker and a new toothbrush.

"Lie down," one of them commanded. He did. _No!_ His eyes sparked with pain as a spotlight fired up above him, illuminating the area fiercely. Unable to voluntarily close his eyes, his body at least responded to the assault by blinking. Now looking straight up into the bright spotlight, he thought of Rose. Where was she? Wait. Where was _he?_ Why was he lying on a cold table? Why was he unable to move? Rassilon! He was paralyzed! What the hell was going on? Suddenly a grey creature stepped into his line of sight. He squeaked in surprise. A grey skeletal looking creature loomed over him. Wait. How could he possibly have forgotten who his captors were? It's not like that face was very forgettable.

Another one approached from the other side of him. Realizing the implications of his apparent memory loss, the Doctor felt ill. Creatures who couldn't be remembered once they were out of sight. The ramifications of such a power were mind boggling.

The Doctor's thoughts were rudely interrupted by a shiney tube being passed in the air above him from the grey monolith on his right to the one on his left. The monster on his left then disappeared from view and moments later the Doctor felt his trousers being removed. Once again screaming in his mind for all he was worth, he found his body a useless tool to him. His pants were suddenly and gracelessly pulled from his body as well and he found himself lying on the cold metal table, half-clothed.

"I will ask you a question and you will answer truthfully," one of the creatures stated. "Is the female you were with your mate?"

The Doctor's mind reeled. Why did they need to know? It can't be for any _good_ reason, he knew. His mouth opened and he felt words slip out. "I want her to be."

_What? WHAT?_ Did he... just say... The Doctor's heart nearly stopped. _"I want her to be."_ The realization startled him. Deep down he knew it was true, otherwise he wouldn't have said it. _But... I... we CAN'T,_ he tried to convince his subconscious.

"Raise your knees," the one leaning over him rasped. He was pulled from his thoughts when his body obeyed. The one standing over him seemed to be studying his eyes. Suddenly he felt a sharp stabbing bolt of pain as the long silver tube they had been holding was inserted roughly into his backside. Unable to move, scream, or even squirm, he was wracked with pain as his bowel contracted at the insult. The pain was relentless and seemed never ending. The creatures were talking, but the Doctor was simply unable to process the words, his brain too wrapped in agony. Finally, after what seemed like years, the pain leveled out and was replaced with a cold heavy feeling in his abdomen. The Doctor could feel his body temperature dropping slowly. If this continued, the Doctor knew he would drop into a hypothermic coma. The skeletal creature leaning over his face pulled out a scanner of some sort and ran it over the Doctor's torso.

To the Doctor's surprise the creature emitted a high pitched screech. The second creature joined him at the head of the table, moving to scrutinize the scanner readings. The Doctor could feel his body starting to shut down. He knew his temperature was now a full eight degrees below normal for a Time Lord and his brain was dialing down in an effort to conserve energy. Black dots swam in his vision as the two creatures started racing around the table in a flurry of activity. In the background he could make out shrieks and clicking sounds. He felt his eyes slide shut. What were those sounds? God he was cold. So cold. Vaguely he realized he was being pulled in two directions. A searing, ripping pain from down below tugged at him to stay conscious, but a more welcoming cold black comfort invited him to sleep. He embraced the dark and hung on.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor became aware of a slight buzz in his ears. The air around him was warm and smelled slightly of ozone. Where was he? Suddenly an unwelcome memory of pain and cold filled him. Something else tugged at him from the recesses of his recollection, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Searching himself for information, he became aware that his body had been in a healing coma. What? Why? He had no recollection of what could have caused it. He knew, though, that he had no memory of the last thirteen hours and twelve earth minutes.

Opening his eyes tentatively, he found himself lying prostrate on the ground at the end of a long barely lit corridor. Angling himself up on his elbows to see his surroundings better, he was surprised to find that his pinstripes had been replaced by a white robe made of a soft cottony material. He was further alarmed when he realized he was naked beneath it. When had that happened? How did he get here? Sitting up, he realized his bottom was incredibly tender. Rubbing his backside, he winced as he adjusted himself slightly. He once again felt a memory lurking just out of reach. Whatever it was, he was sure his coma was related. Straining to find the last thing he could remember, the Doctor's heart practically stopped. Rose! The last really clear thing he remembered was Rose, frozen in a stream of blinding light. A ship! He remembered yelling. At... Jack. Jack! Then the light surrounded him and he felt the familiar tug of a transmat beam. Then... then... _damn!_ Why couldn't he recall anything after that? He could make out brief memories of bright lights, pain, cold...but that's it. Where was Rose? He felt panic permeate through his confusion. He had to find her. She was here somewhere.

Wait...did it the corridor just get a bit brighter? He rubbed his eyes. They must be adjusting after the coma.

Gingerly getting to his feet, the Doctor stood and looked for any sign of other life. "Hello!" he called, his voice echoing off the dull lifeless walls. "I know you can hear me," the Doctor called into the air around him, "and it's time to end this." Silence greeted him. Trying again, he yelled, "This is a flagrant disregard of section 11, subsection 'A' of the Shadow Proclamation!" Again, he received nothing but silence for his efforts.

Looking around, he was struck by the monotony of the view in front of him. There were no doors, mirrors, or even interesting cracks to look at. The walls were at least 10 feet high ending in empty blackness. Dim light emanated from a transparent strip all along the top part of the walls. The corridor stretched out ahead of him ending in another wall way off in the distance. With nowhere else to go, he decided he might as well walk the hall. Standing still was making him even more agitated, and he needed to be able to think. Instinctively reaching to stuff his hands in his pockets, they floundered for a moment before he belatedly recalled that he was no longer in his suit. Scowling again, trying to reach into his big Time Lord brain to drag his missing memories out, he started moving forward down the hall. His legs carried him surely onward, the pads of his bare feet gently slapping against the hard floor as he walked. The hall was longer than it looked, but the Doctor finally found himself at the end and was surprised to find that rather than ending in a wall, it branched off to form a 'T' intersection with the corridor he'd just traversed. Which way now? He growled, irritated that he was seemingly being encouraged to wander aimlessly for no apparent reason.

"I demand you show yourselves!" the Doctor shouted in frustration up at the emptiness above him. The air around him seemed to flare with light for a moment and the lights nestled in the wall settled at a level slightly brighter than they had been at before. He rubbed his eyes again.

Then, from somewhere along one of the empty halls, a small voice found him. "Doctor!"

He froze. Straining his ears, trying to convince himself it hadn't been his imagination, he was rewarded with the faint call one more time. "Doctor!" It was Rose.

"ROSE!" he called. "ROSE! Where are you?"

"Doctor! I'm here!" Her plaintive voice seemed to be coming from somewhere off to his left. He took off running, calling her as he ran. Coming to another intersection, he called for her again. "Doctor!" she called back. He was closer. Having raced down another corridor, he made it to a three pronged fork in the path. "Doctor! I'm here!" he heard again. Either to his right or straight ahead. Which way? "Rose! Keep talking! I'm coming!"

Rose's voice floated in the air and seemed to be coming from everywhere. He worked again to concentrate on the direction of the sound. She was to his left this time. He was desperately thankful for his Time Lord hearing at this point, otherwise there was no way he would have been able to guess which direction her voice was coming from. He pushed ahead, turning right or left depending on where he sensed she was calling from. Continuing his quest, he turned a corner at the end of the corridor he was in, only to find that it ended there. _Damn it!_ "ROSE!" he shouted, frustrated, as light pulsed around him, once again further brightening the corridor.

"Doctor! Keep looking for me! I'm here!" he heard Rose's voice calling to him.

Doubling back, the Doctor retraced his steps. Rose was still calling to him. Having realized where in the path he'd gone wrong, the Doctor took a new course and was rewarded by Rose's voice becoming louder.

"Keep talking, Rose!" he directed, working to locate her.

"I'm... I'm scared, Doctor," he heard her say.

_Oh Rose_. His heart lurched. He had to reach her. It pained him to know she was afraid. He desperately hoped she was okay. Had they hurt her? He felt anger grow in his belly at the thought.

Rounding yet another corner, the Doctor's heart climbed up into his throat. The corridors had been getting brighter throughout his journey, but now the lights flared and the air was brightly illuminated. The corner he'd turned ended in a small room. In it sat Rose, who was shackled to a metal hoop set in the floor in front of her in the middle of the room. She was wearing a white robe similar to his. Relief glowed on her tear stained face as she stared up at him from her seated position on the ground. "Doctor!" she smiled, desperately relieved to see him.

With a bang, a door dropped shut behind him, locking he and Rose in the room. He ran to her, pulling her head to his chest in a grateful hug. Unable to hug him back, Rose leaned into him. The Doctor pulled back after a few moments and cupped her face in his hands, looking at her intently. "Rose, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" he worried.

"Um... I... I think so," Rose said, unsure. Her brow furrowed and she worried her lip with her teeth. "I hurt... everywhere," Rose said quietly, blushing fiercely.

The Doctor felt rage well up in him as he studied her face. She looked more pale than usual, but other than that and the trails of dried tears sullying her beautiful complexion, she seemed unmarked. At least on the skin that was showing. The thought made him livid. Those _bastards_. The room was almost intolerably bright now and both he and Rose had to squint to see.

"I don't know exactly what's going on here, but I'm going to find out," the Doctor assured her while working at the restraints to release her. With her bonds finally released, Rose leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. Feeling her body pressed against him, he felt himself squeezing her back, reassuring himself that she was indeed sitting here and safe with him. He nestled his nose in her hair and breathed her in. Relief flooded him. Home. That's what she was to him. Now _that_ was a realization, he mused. Where ever she was, was home. His heart actually squeezed at the thought. He desperately wished they could just stay like this and he could lose himself in her scent and the feel of her against him. Sadly, he knew that they had to move if they were to get out of here.

Pulling back from her, the Doctor helped Rose to her feet. She winced as she stood, making the Doctor's stomach tighten. He knew she was tender. Likely in the same place he was. His anger at their captors resurfaced with a vengeance. Hugging her to him, he called up into the air, "Okay. We've passed your little test. Are you going to show yourselves?" the Doctor dared, trying to channel his fury into something constructive.

Around them, the air crackled with energy and the panel of lights set in the walls around them flickered wildly. Suddenly, one section exploded in a flurry of sparks. A second section followed suit and rained fireworks over their heads. The Doctor threw Rose to the ground, covering her with his body, sheltering her from the flying debris. Then, all the light in the room ceased and the Doctor and Rose were left in the pitch dark, both breathing heavily.

Abruptly, the door of the room slid open. Two tall figures stood looking down at them, illuminated from behind. Oh, Them! The Doctor and Rose both inhaled sharply and simulatneously, their memories catching up with both of them at the same time. The Doctor recalled his last visit with them now, and remembered what his lack of memory meant. These beings existed outside of the memories of other beings. They moved in the subconscious. He hugged Rose a bit tighter to his side. Knowing what they were made him that much more anxious to reason with them. He had to make them understand that they were not welcome on earth. That he and Rose were off limits. That they were working against every law of the universe doing what they were doing.

"You have advanced reasoning skills," one of them rasped at him. "What are you?"

The Doctor frowned and stared back at it beligerantly. "I could ask you the same thing," he said in a low voice.

"We are the Silence. What are you?" it asked, cocking its head almost comically to the side.

"I am a Time Lord, and she is a human," the Doctor stated matter-of-factly. "May I ask why you're holding us here?"

"We have not encountered your kind before. We will learn more about your potential and then you will lead us to your people." While he spoke, the other one circled around them and grabbed Rose's arm, hoisting her from the Doctor's grip.

"Doctor!" Rose entreated, reaching for him as she was ripped away from his side.

"Let her go!" the Doctor demanded, advancing on the Silent pulling Rose away from him. The other one held him back as the first exited the room with Rose while she squirmed in its arms, trying to break loose.

"You will sleep now," the Silent said to him before letting him go. With that, it turned and left the room.

"Oi!" the Doctor shouted at the closed door. And then forgot why he was shouting. What? He turned to look for Rose. Wasn't she just here? He'd been holding her, hadn't he?

Suddenly he felt bone tired. But... what about Rose? For some reason, he couldn't even bring himself to worry about her. All that filled his mind was an overwhelming desire to sleep. Looking around the bare room, he decided the floor would have to do. Lying down on his side near the far wall, he curled up and instantly felt himself relax. His body craved unconsciousness like it never had before. He let himself float in oblivion, with something lurking in his subconscious that made him uneasy. Unable to put his finger on it, he drifted.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor woke surrounded by a fog of Metragon. Coughing and spluttering, he felt the now familiar sensation of his body being removed from his control. _No!_ his mind screamed as his lungs heaved.

The door of the little room he was in slid open and in the now clearing mist, the Doctor could make out large black shoes.

"Look at us," a deep voice rasped.

The Doctor felt his eyes slide up to regard the large grey beings looming over him. _You! No... not again!_ He felt himself panicking inside, but his body didn't reflect any of his anxiety.

"You can move your eyes to look at anything you like, but the rest of your body will do only what we tell it to," the closest creature intoned.

Instantly, the Doctor felt the release of his eyes to his own control. This small concession allowed him some relief, as now he could at least try to make sure one of these creatures stayed in his line of sight. He didn't want to forget them again if he could avoid it.

"Follow us."

The Doctor found himself moving through dimly lit corridors following one of the creatures while the other followed behind him. They finally turned to enter a door on their left. The first Silence directed him to walk to the other side of the room and sit in a rather sinister looking chair facing the door. His treacherous body complied. How could he convince these beings to see reason if he couldn't even move his own body?

One of the Silents moved behind him and a tight helmet was placed on his head. "Why must we use this dated collection method?" the Silent at the door rasped at the other.

The one behind the Doctor replied deeply, "The Time Lord's biology overwhelms our human reflective collection system," the Silent behind him rasped at the other. _Collection system?_ The Doctor's mind raced. They were using a reflective system for collecting... energy? That would explain the overload in the lighting system in the maze. But what kind of energy? Thinking back to the maze he tried to remember when exactly he noticed an increase in the illumination. _Rassilon_. But that meant...

Just then, another Silent entered the room followed by a smaller figure. Blonde hair shone in the dim lights of the room. Rose!

"Stand here," the Silent ordered her, positioning her about two meters in front of the Doctor. She complied without question. Rose was clearly under the influence of Metragon as well. _No... no, no, no..._ The Doctor's stomach knotted. His eyes moved frantically from the Silent and back to Rose. What was it going to do to her.

"Take off your robe," it commanded. Rose emotionlessly opened her white robe and let it float to the floor. The Doctor found himself looking at her naked body. At any other time, seeing Rose's gorgeous nude body would have sent him into libido driven hormonal overload. But now, seeing her helpless and bare in front of him meant only humiliation for her. This was not meant for him. He had had dreams about her sharing her body with him. None of them involved it forced upon her. They had taken this moment from them. Against his conscious control, he felt himself welling up with anger. A deep hum eminated somewhere in the wall behind him.

"Seventeen," one of the Silents intoned to the other.

Startled, he realized he'd just given them what they wanted. They were harvesting his negative emotional energy, and he played right into their... claws. He had to reign in his emotions, otherwise this would merely continue... they would continue to use Rose to pull emotion from him. He had to somehow turn himself off so they would leave her alone. He had to do this. For her. Making himself retreat into his mind, he closed his eyes.

"Open your eyes," one of the Silence directed him.

His body obeyed. The Silent moved to stand in front of Rose. Directing his comment at her, he said, "Lie down so your male can see you." She did. The Silent then turned to the Doctor. "You will remain still. You will not move or speak no matter what the female says." Rose's expression didn't change, but the Doctor knew she was terrified. Standing above Rose it rasped at her, "You may speak and move your head, but you may not move the rest of your body." Rose's neutral expression immediately morphed into one of anquish. The Doctor's heart broke. "Let us go, you bastards!" Rose yelled, her lovely face now reflecting the anger she had been unable to express before now.

The Silent ignored her and turned to the Doctor. "You will look at your female."

The Doctor's eyes did as they were bid.

"No! Don't make him... do whatever you want to me. Don't hurt him!" Rose entreated, desperate for the Silent to do as she asked.

_Rose, no! For Rassilon's sake!_ He shouted mentally for all he was worth. _Let her go!_ The deep humming behind him grew slightly louder.

The Silent nearest Rose nodded to one standing by the door. It exited. The Silent that had tied Rose up moved so the Doctor could see him, but Rose couldn't. Rose blinked. The Doctor could see the look of confusion cross her face. Taking stock of her situation, she looked down and squeaked at her lack of clothing. "Oh my GOD!" Rose shouted. "Doctor! What's going on? I... I can't move!" Rose was mortified and he knew she was trying to get her body to cooperate so she could hide herself from him. He tried to close his eyes, to give her some privacy, to save her dignity, but of course he couldn't. His body merely sat there, staring unforgivingly at her. "Doctor!" she entreated, willing him to respond. Inside he was near to weeping. _Oh Rose. My Rose._

Just then, the door of the room slid open and the Doctor was beyond mortified when Jack strode in followed by a Silent. "Jack!" Rose yelped in surprise. The Doctor heard Rose's breath catch in alarm at being reminded of the Silent's existence again. Through all of this, Jack didn't respond, his face remaining completely emotionless. _Oh, Jack, why didn't you run?_ He was clad in a white robe similar to the ones he and Rose...no... _he_ was wearing. Rose's embarrassment burned in him.

The Silents conferred using a series of clicks and growls. The Doctor felt adrenaline race like a tsunami through his system. Dread filled him. What were they going to do to his friends. The collection system hummed louder in tandem with his runaway anxiety.

"Thirty-one," the Silent looming by the door counted.

One of the SIlents turned to Jack. "You will not respond to anything the female says. You will copulate with her, regardless of her protests," it instructed him. It then turned to Rose and said, "When we leave the room, you will be able to move your body at your discretion."

The Doctor felt irrepressable rage at these creatures well within him. _You bastards! Let them go! Stop!_ Ignoring his silent pleas, the Silents filed out of the room.

They all blinked in confusion for a moment. The Doctor was surprised to find himself immobile, sitting in some contraption with a helmet placed on his head. In front of him, he was shocked to find Jack hovering over Rose's prone, naked body. Rose looked dazed, embarrassed and nervous. Jack looked... hungry.

"Jack?" Rose said, her voice small. Jack looked down at her, his eyes dark.

_What? What the hell was going on?_ The Doctor's mind raced The Metragon. Damn it... Jack must be drugged. Working to fight the drug in his own system, the Doctor tried to will his body back to his control. His body completely ignored his demands.

Jack tugged at the sash of his white robe and it fell open, revealing his readiness underneath. Rose started scooting back on the floor away from Jack. "Doctor?" she said shakily, warily watching Jack slowly advance on her. He, of course, was unable to reply, and it was killing him.

Rose seemed to realize that the Doctor wasn't going to help her and she started trying to reason with Jack. "Jack... you don't want to do this, yeah? I mean... it's me. It's Rose! Your Rosie... Jack?" she entreated.

The Doctor merely saw Jack's jaw set in anticipation. He lunged for Rose, who ducked out of his way just in time. She found her feet and stood, backing up as Jack crouched to lunge at her again. This time he found his mark and landed on her with a sickening thud. Rose cried out, her breath temporarily knocked from her lungs. Jack used his advantage to clasp her hands together above her chest. Tugging at the tie of his robe he pulled it from around him and used it to wrap her hands tightly together.

"Jack, no!" Rose shouted, struggling beneath him. "Jack... stop!" She screamed in frustration, unable to contort her body free of Jack's hold. Roughly kicking her legs apart, Jack pushed her arms up above her head.

"No, Jack... please, no..." Rose begged. Giving up on trying to reason with him, she looked over at the Doctor, her eyes begging. "Doctor... please..." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Watching this unfold before him, helpless to do anything but watch, the Doctor's anxiety had already caused the humming in the room to increase to almost intolerable levels. Watching her struggle and look to him for rescue was beyond overwhelming. The buzzing increased another few decibels.

Heedless of Rose's cries, Jack pushed himself roughly inside her with one painful thrust. Rose cried out, her tears flowing down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut against the discomfort. Pushing and pulling himself in and out of her, Jack continued his relentless assault. As Jack plundered her, he leaned forward and suckled her breast hard. Rose gritted her teeth. It was now or never. Dragging her hands down from over her head, she wrapped her fingers firmly in Jacks hair and pulled for all she was worth.

Jack's response was swift. He reared off of her and slapped her face so hard that her nose began to bleed. She fought back by kicking and flailing beneath him, punching him in the chest with her bound hands. Jack's fist flew at her head, knocking her back heavily against the hard floor.

The Doctor's emotional reaction was instantaneous. The machine behind him rose in volume to a level that caused pain.

Suddenly the door of the room flew open and several grey creatures streamed in. One of them boomed, "Disconnect him!"

Despite the commotion, the Doctor barely registered any noise at all. His head was filled with rage and his body was brimming with righteous energy. In an act of sheer force, his body broke from its submissive state to bend to his will. "AAAAAARGH!" he shrieked, his scream full of promised violence. Suddenly, he found his hands back under his control. His legs followed. He stood as the rest of his body began answering his commands, the helmet pulled from his head. He lurched forward at one of the surprised Silents. It tried to back away, but the Doctor was faster and the Silent found itself on the receiving end of the Doctor's fury. The two grappled on the ground and somehow the Doctor managed to get his hands around its neck. While the Silent was large, it was relatively frail. With little effort he subdued the lanky creature by tightening his grip. The other Silents in the room stepped back.

Huffing with the exertion, the Doctor saw movement out of the corner of his eye and was mortified to see that Jack had resumed his assault on Rose, who was now unconscious. "Jack, STOP!" the Doctor yelled. Jack stopped moving. The Doctor realized he had to be more specific. While keeping an eye on the pack of Silents in front of him, he carefully instructed, "Jack, you have control over your body again. Only I can tell you otherwise."

Jack jumped away from Rose as if he'd been burned and his face contorted in horror and pain. "Oh my God... Rose!" he sobbed, covering his face with his hands.

While the Doctor knew Jack needed him, he also knew they had to get out of this situation alive. Addressing the Silents, he said, "You will let Rose, Jack and I go. Now. Or I will kill this one." He emphasized his point by squeezing its neck a bit tighter. It responded by making a choking sound. "And if I EVER see your kind anywhere near this planet again... I'll not be responsible for what will happen to the rest of you. Do you understand?"

One of the Silents standing by the door nodded slowly.

"You're going to transport us back to earth. Now." The Doctor made the Silent under him get to its hands and knees, making sure to keep his hands wrapped firmly and threateningly around its neck. He directed one of the Silents to pick up Rose, who was lying prostrate on the ground. His heart ached, seeing the creature lifting her limp form. Jack was sitting incredibly still staring blankly at the floor. He made no move to get up.

"Jack," the Doctor said, hoping Jack would respond. He didn't. Not wanting to, but knowing he had to, the Doctor used the effects of the Metragon to save their hides. "Jack, get up and follow us to the transmat pods."

Pain radiated from Jack as he stood. He looked pale and beaten. As much as the Doctor couldn't help but feel an unbidden hatred for Jack for having violated his precious human, he knew it wasn't his fault. He felt a pang of guilt at leveling such anger at the ex-Time Agent. He suspected they would all need professional mental help once this was all over.

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he directed the Silents to begin walking. The crew moved swiftly through the corridors of the ship until they arrived at the transport pods. Still holding the one Silent captive by the neck, he instructed the one holding Rose to place her in one of the pods. Likewise, he directed Jack to enter another pod and close the door. Moving to the control panel with his captive, he activated it. Rose and Jack both disappeared and the pods stood empty in front of them. Knowing this was the end, the Doctor let his captive go. It crawled out of his reach and stood, massaging its neck. The Doctor knew that once he was in the pod, he would be helpless, and they'd be free to do with him what they liked. If he surrendered to them now he might have a chance to talk some sense into them.

The Silents regarded him from a distance, none of them moved. "Well?" the Doctor dared them. "Here I am. You know as well as I do that I'm at your mercy once I step into that pod. So go on." The Doctor raised his hands and stood still, waiting.

After a moment, the Silents began clicking and growling. For some reason the TARDIS wouldn't translate this for him. Hmmm. Maybe it was some sort of verbal cover for telepathic communication, the Doctor found himself musing. Their noises finally ceased and one of them stepped forward.

"You are too unpredictable and we are unable to harvest your energy at this time," the Silent said matter-of-factly. "We will release you. When our technology improves we will seek out your kind again. You will not remember us or this encounter. The next time you see us, it will be like you have never experienced us before." The Silent said this like a command rather than a statement of fact.

"Get in," one of other Silents gestured toward the transmat. Knowing he had little choice, the Doctor did as he was told, climbing into one of the pods.

"Until next time, gentlemen. But I warn you... this planet is OFF LIMITS." The Doctor's expression darkened and heralded the Oncoming Storm.

There was no reply from the Silents. Aptly named, the Doctor thought. They closed the casing of the pod and the next moment he felt the pull of the transmat and saw only light.


	5. Chapter 5

The light surrounding the Doctor slowly faded and he found himself standing in a moonlit clearing near a river. The Athabasca. What the hell happened? He remembered Rose being shackled to a bolt in the floor of a small room. He remembered holding Rose, smelling her, revelling in her. Home. He recalled a plain grey hallway with lights sparking and exploding. There was running and cold and pain. There was time missing. There were creatures he couldn't remember. He knew that from having been doused with Metragon and from the fact he was missing time. Time never just 'went missing' for a Time Lord. It had to have been taken from him. That only meant someone or something had taken it.

Anxiety played at the corners of his consciousness. An increasingly unpleasant feeling filled him. A memory clawed at him, trying to reach the surface of his awareness. Images of Rose and... Jack. Rose!

His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark landscape, as his eyes tended to do, and he quickly scanned the area for Rose. In the moonlight he could make out her naked form turned away from him, lying on her side about six meters away.

"Rose!" he yelled, running to her side. "Rose. Oh, Rose..." the Doctor pushed her hair back from her face as he turned her gently onto her back. Rose moaned. Dried blood coated her upper lip and mouth. Her skin was cold and her breathing was laboured. Adrenaline punched him squarely in the chest and he leapt up, quickly sweeping Rose up into his arms. She moaned again, but her eyes stayed resolutely closed.

The Doctor's mind raced as he rushed through the underbrush with Rose's prone form in his arms. He recalled the sickening sound of her skull cracking on the floor. Brain injury was a distinct possibility. He replayed the foggy memory. Rose struggling. Jack slapping her. Punching her. Rage bubbled inside him. At the creatures who drugged them. At Jack. At his inability to protect her.

Finally reaching the TARDIS, the Doctor unlocked the door hurriedly and made his way through the corridor to the infirmary, Rose limp in his arms. Throwing the door open, the Doctor gently placed her on the examination table in the middle of the room and quickly retrieved a sheet to cover her naked form with.

From there, he swiftly gathered all the needed technology stowed away on shelves and in drawers and began scanning her vitals and brain for damage. He let out a sigh of relief. He could find no bleeding or damage that wouldn't heal on its own. Scanning showed only mild bruising to her brain which explained why she was unconscious. Given what had happened to her, he was thankful that's the only physical damage that resulted. What really worried him was whether her trust in him...and in Jack...would ever be healed.

Jack. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. With Rose unconscious and unlikely to wake for a number of hours, he knew he had to find Jack. Mentally instructing the TARDIS to alert him if Rose woke, he leaned over her and tenderly kissed her forehead. He had so much he wanted to say to her. It would have to wait. He needed to find Jack.

* * *

Jack blinked and found himself standing outside near a river wearing an open white robe which was billowing in the wind. It wrapped around his legs and whipped against his otherwise naked body. What the hell? he thought. He felt foggy and confused. Forcing himself to concentrate, he pushed himself to think back.

Flashes of images played in his mind. He saw snippets of dark rooms and recalled pain and cold. He saw a plain dark room and recalled having spent a number of hours in it. He remembered fog and then losing control of his body. Finally his memories showed him what he most dreaded.

_Oh my God. Rose!_ his mind screamed at him. Jack's head filled with Rose's pleas and her desperate attempts to get away from him. His body had betrayed him and taken what he'd secretly wanted from Rose for a long time. That made the thought of it intolerable. _But I... I couldn't stop! I tried! All I did was try!_ Did some part of him actually want to do that? To take her? His body certainly responded like he did. _No!_ He was going to be sick. He felt his stomach lurch and his stomach gave up its meager contents to the ground in front of him. Leaning over, his hands on his knees, he found himself sobbing. Tears flowed down his face and the tip of his nose. How could he have? To his innocent, beautiful Rosie?

He stood there for a long time, letting the tears fall, letting the revulsion at his actions settle deep within him. How could he ever face her again? He would never forgive himself... and he would never even ask her to try to forgive him. He didn't deserve it. After what had happened, how could he?

He slowly became aware that someone was standing behind him. He couldn't look. It would be the Doctor, he was sure. Given the Doctor's philosophy, he doubted he would give him what he really wanted, which was to die. Right here, right now. Not that he could anyway. He snorted. He couldn't even pay the ultimate price for his crime.

"Jack," the Doctor said almost softly.

Jack turned and regarded the man standing a few steps from him. He was bracing himself to face the Oncoming Storm. To see only menace and anger in eyes glaring back at his. Instead, what he read from the Doctor was a mixture of regret and pity. Jack felt himself bristle. He didn't deserve pity! This man should be only furious with him. He should be sorting a way to end his miserable existense. Instead, he was looking at him, seemingly feeling sorry for him!

"Well?!" Jack barked at him. "What... what happens now? I raped her, Doctor! I raped Rose! How can I... she..." his breath caught and he sobbed once again, letting the full force of his pain engulf him.

Suddenly he felt an arm around his shoulder. "Shhhh, Jack." The Doctor took a deep breath while rubbing Jack's back. "It wasn't your fault. The beings that took us... they had a drug. Metragon. It robs its victims of control over their body. You were commanded to r... to hurt Rose. You had no choice."

Jack sniffed and looked at the Doctor with red rimmed eyes. "But... are you sure of that? I did it, Doctor. I remember it. It was my body that hurt her. I can't... I'll never forgive myself."

The Doctor sighed. "Jack, I won't lie to you. I was murderous watching you assaulting Rose. Even though I knew you weren't really responsible. But the ones who deserve our anger are those beings that did this to us. You were a victim as well, Jack." Jack blinked. "Did you plan to do that to Rose?"  
"No, of course not!" Jack bit back.

"Of course you didn't," the Doctor confirmed.

Jack stood still, lost in thought. So it wasn't his will that caused it? He let that idea sink in. He was a victim as well? He had a hard time buying that.

"Come on, Jack. I have to get back to the TARDIS to check on Rose."

"But... what can I... how can I ever look at her again? Doctor... even if it wasn't in my control, it was my body that hurt her," Jack said shakily.

"Jack, she's going to need time. To heal and to come to terms with what's happened. But so will you. You've both been victimized here."

Jack frowned, looking down at the ground and considering the Doctor's words.

"Come on, Jack. Let's go," the Doctor said, leading Jack back toward the TARDIS, his arm around the beaten man.

* * *

It was an hour and a half later, and the Doctor had just finished scanning Rose's brain for the third time since he'd returned to the TARDIS. He did what he could to speed up the healing process, but now there was nothing to do but wait. He had filled Jack in on what he could remember as he worked. What he didn't share was his revelation about the kind of feelings Rose engendered in him when he held her. He also didn't rehash his hateful feelings toward Jack for harming Rose. He knew in his hearts that Jack really was a victim as well. His eyes had told him differently, but he knew better. The creatures had clearly used the drug on him as well. And he, himself, had been useless in helping Rose. In that he could sympathize with Jack. Both of them had been powerless to change what happened to her.

She was still unconscious, her body working to finish healing the remainder of the damage inflicted on her. The Doctor and Jack stood over Rose, the flurry of activity now replaced by silent adoration and worry. Jack reverently smoothed Rose's hair back and kissed her forehead. "Oh, my Rosie," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm so, so sorry." His breath caught and he felt tears threatening to rain again.

Seeing Jack touching Rose made the Doctor want to jump between them and remove him forceably from her. Thankfully, he was able to control himself and he stood stoicly, trying not to show his annoyance at Jack's continued proximity to Rose's prone form. _It wasn't his fault, _the Doctor repeated once again in his head. He had a feeling this was going to become a mantra for him over the next few days.

Sniffing and clearing his throat, Jack tried to lighten the mood. "I'd better give his Lordship a turn, here, Rose. He's been a bit worried about you, too. Love ya, doll," he said, and kissed her forehead softly. He stood and found the Doctor trying to look casual and relaxed. His eyes said otherwise. He stood back and gestured for the Doctor to take his spot beside Rose.

"I, uh, should probably... go and leave you two alone," Jack said, trying to sound brave.

"Thank-you, Jack," the Doctor said softly. Jack left the room quietly.


	6. Chapter 6

Knowing Rose would be much happier waking in her own bed than on a clinic bed in the infirmary, the Doctor took her up delicately in his arms, careful to wrap the infirmary sheeting around her so it wouldn't dislodge, and carried her to her room. Her room was in it's usual state... not that he ever spent time in it, but he... imagined it would be messy like this. O.k. - to be truthful he'd snuck into her room on a few occasions to watch her sleep. No harm done, right? Except maybe to his resolve to stay away from her.

He gingerly pulled her bed sheets down, trying not to wake her as he did. He lowered her gently onto the mattress, her sheet still in place, and further covered with the bedding so that only her face peeked out from under the covers. Should he put her into her jim jams? She'd feel less vulnerable and therefore more comfortable, surely? I mean, he would appreciate it if someone did that for him, right? Right. In fact, she did the exact favour for him when he regenerated. Right? Right. NO. Bad idea. He'd seen enough naked Rose Tyler for... weeelllll, he wasn't sure he could _ever_ see enough naked Rose Tyler... but he'd seen enough without her express consent. Right then. No jim jams.

Opting to just sit by her bedside until she woke, the Doctor pulled up one of her clothes-laden chairs and perched himself on it. He was only here to make sure she was o.k. . Not because he loved to watch her face as she slept. No. Definitely not. He thought back to their capture and the room in which he'd found her, bound to the floor, looking up at him. He remembered the feel of her arms around him and the life-giving energy she emanated making him feel whole. He recalled her brilliant, head fogging scent. He longed to bury himself in her arms again. That's where he belonged. In her arms. He snapped himself out of his fantasy. Rassilon. How did she do this to him? He was a Time Lord, for heaven's sake. But here he was, reduced to a mushy, hormonal mess because of this pink and yellow human. An incredibly _brilliant,_ pink and yellow human, mind you. He shook his head. She really was extraordinary. She was courageous, forgiving, creative, funny and breathtakingly beautiful. Why was he holding back again? Oh yeah. She was human. He huffed at that. So what? He loved humans. Fantastic race, humans. If they were so beneath him, why did he spend so much time saving them? Because they were wonderful. That's why. He scowled slightly, remembering his lessons as a boy on Gallifrey. Time Lords were above all others. That's why they were entrusted with understanding Time itself. Rubbish. That really was a right load of rubbish. They'd been there at the right place at the right time in their evolution. That's all. Humans deserved as much veneration as Time Lords did, if for no other reason than their relentless curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. But what about their lifespans? The Doctor didn't want to think about that. He'd lost so many friends and family to the time war. How could he ever face losing Rose too? Elbows supported on his knees, the Doctor leaned his forehead on his steepled hands.

"Prayin' for me now? Am I that far gone?" Rose smiled as he hurriedly dropped his hands and moved forward, dropping to his knees beside the bed to run his fingers through her hair as he studied her face.

"Rose! You're awake! I was wondering if you'd planned to sleep the whole day away," the Doctor grinned at her. Rose pulled her hand out from under the blanket and ran her fingers along the side of his face. He leaned into her palm, revelling in her touch. His voice dropped and he said seriously, "I was so worried about you."

Rose felt her heart swell with warmth for this man. He really did care for her. She already knew that deep down, but having it confirmed every now and then was always welcome.

"Rose, are you okay? I mean, after what happened..." The Doctor's voice dropped off, his eyes full of concern.

Rose's hand stilled. An expression of confusion crossed her delicate features and as she searched her memory. "I can't... what happened?"

The Doctor searched her face. "Rose... what do you remember?"

"Ummm, well... I remember... the party last night. Jack... he passed out on the console after we got back... I can't remember anything else. Doctor, what happened?"

"Oh. Well, ummm... I'm not going to lie to you Rose. It wasn't good. You were hurt." The Doctor looked away, emotion threatening to overcome him.

"Doctor... I'm alright now. I'm okay," she reassured him, gently turning his face back to look at her. "See? All in one piece," she said, smiling at him softly.

Leave it to Rose to be comforting him when she was the one who should be receiving comfort. "Oh, my precious girl" the Doctor said, taking her hand in his. His eyes began to well up. "There was a drug. We were used, Rose. All of us. And you were ...hurt."

Rose felt fear crawl into her belly. "Doctor... did they...hurt you too?"

"No. Well, yes, but that's not what I'm worried about," the Doctor said, trying unsuccessfully to express himself. "I need to tell you what happened, Rose, but... I don't want you to know. And it seems your brain agrees with me," the Doctor said , standing up and running his hands through his hair. He turned back to find Rose looking at him, confused. "You've suffered a nasty concussion, Rose. Thankfully, I think we've managed to avoid any long term damage." The Doctor sat beside her on the bed and smoothed her hair back, his eyes full of worry.

"Doctor... what happened to me... was it something to do with you?" Rose asked, her voice quiet.

The Doctor's stomach clenched. Yes. It was. He couldn't stop it.

"I was there," the Doctor said, his voice low.

Oh. Rose's mind turned over the possibilities, none of them pleasant. Looking up at the Doctor, her heart broke. His eyes held so much pain and she knew it was for her. Whatever happened, he hadn't been able to stop it. She knew intuitively what that meant. It meant torment for him. "You tried to help me," she said. A statement, not a question.

"Yes," the Doctor said quietly, "but... I couldn't." He swallowed thickly, unable to meet Rose's eyes.

It was then she knew what she had to do. There was no question in her mind that he would have given anything to have helped her if he could have. Part of her wished she knew what had happened, but, in truth, she could give him this without much regret. "What would happen if I never remembered?" she said tentatively.

The Doctor's wide eyes snapped to hers. Never remembered? Was she suggesting what he thought she was?

'Ummm, well... nothing would happen, per se," the Doctor acknowledged.

"Then... could you, maybe, help me not remember? I mean, I already don't remember what happened, and it seems I didn't miss anything good, yeah? So... I figure, maybe I don't really need to remember it?" Rose suggested, her eyes trusting and hopeful.

The Doctor swallowed again, his mouth dry. Oh, how he wanted this. He had to admit that the thought had already crossed his mind. Did she know that? Of course she knew. Was she only doing this for him, then? Even if she was... _was that so bad?_, he reasoned. Those memories had the power to ruin her life. To change her forever. Underneath all his good intentions, however, he knew part of him wanted this for another reason entirely.

Steeling himself, he asked, "Are you sure, Rose? I wouldn't be able to undo this easily. In fact, trying to undo it might put you in harm's way." Rose's eyes never left his. She nodded. She really trusted him to do this? "It would mean that I'd have to go into your mind, Rose. I... I promise I wouldn't look at anything else... just those memories, I swear," he reassured her quickly.

"Doctor, I trust you," she said, looking purposefully into his deep brown eyes, willing him to believe her.

He smiled softly in return. She really did trust him. He knew that. He also knew that he had to come completely clean in order to be worthy of that trust. He looked down at his hands, not sure how to start. "Rose, before I do this, I have to... I should tell you something."

Rose looked back at him with concern. "What is it? Will it... hurt?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor's eyes popped up to meet hers. "NO! No... Rose, no. I would never hurt you. Not on purpose, anyway," he reassured her. "No. It's just that, well, if I do this, with you...we might... I mean, we _would_... be closer than we were before." The Doctor stared at her, his hearts on his sleeves. This was it. What would she say.

Rose's eyebrows lifted in surprise. This wasn't what she'd been expecting him to say. At all. She thought maybe he might tell her that she'd lose more memories. That she might feel queasy afterward. That she might crave bananas for a few years. _Not_ that they might become... how did he say it... closer. "So, when you say 'closer'," she frowned slightly, "how do you mean, exactly?" She worried her bottom lip.

"Weelllll," the Doctor started, "I mean, you know, closer. In an emotional sense." He stopped, examining her face for a response. She was looking up at him, seemingly in shock. Rassilon. What had he done. "I mean... I understand if that's not what you want. But I thought you should know. And if it changes your decision, maybe we can find another way to shield you from those memori..." Rose had interrupted his babbling with a soft finger to his lips.

"I haven't changed my mind, Doctor. To be honest," she said shyly, "I think I want to do this more now than I did before."

The Doctor watched Rose flush a beautiful shade of pink, and his hearts leapt into his throat. She wanted this. He truly couldn't believe his luck. This incredible woman was willing to let him in. This incredible _human_. This was a slippery slope, and he knew it. Did he care? Right now, all he cared about was lying in front of him. She was all he could think about at this moment and she was offering to let him in. She had no idea how often he'd dreamed of this. Craved it.

"It will feel odd at first, but try to relax. Like I said, I won't look at anything you don't want me to. If there's something specific you don't want me to see, imagine a closed door in front of it and I won't look."

With humility and near reverence, he gently placed his fingers on her temples and eased himself into her mind. Both inhaled at the contact. The Doctor skated lightly through the surface of her mind, surprised and honoured to see no doors. Not one. He felt almost giddy at the openness between them. He wasn't about to take advantage, though, and he gently made his way past memories and thoughts that weren't the target of his intrusion. As he dove deeper, searching for the dark memories, he couldn't help but bask in the warmth of this joining. Rose's mind was equivalent to a warm golden glow and the feel of her mind around his was indescribable. He heard a low moan in the distance and realized it had been his. In his current state he didn't even have the wherewithal to be embarrassed. The sensation created by being in her mind was both soothing and thrilling. A warm mewl emanated from somewhere in the physical world. This time it had been Rose. Clearly his travels through her mind were affecting her as well. He felt a flash of heat shoot through him at the thought.

No. Concentrate. First thing's first. Trying to ignore his mind's growing insistence that he add the joining of their bodies to this encounter as well, he worked at continuing his mental journey. Delving a bit further, he came to the damage caused by Jack's assault. It was almost completely healed now. Relief flowed through him. He thanked all the gods he'd ever encountered - and there had been many. Knowing she was going to be okay was one thing, but seeing it up close was another. Something was niggling at him, though. Hold up. Even with the help he'd given her in the infirmary, her brain would still would have needed days before this much healing should've taken place. Indulging his curiosity, the Doctor moved in closer, careful not to disturb the area. What he encountered both alarmed and stupified him.

The damaged nerve endings were being regrown with the help of millions of thin, golden tendrils that were acting as neurological catalysts to create optimum regrowth conditions. Each filament pooled around a damaged nerve ending, bathing it in a golden drop of energy and encouraging growth by delicately 'tugging' the sprouting nerves toward other nerve endings to create new connections. Brilliant! But that definitely wasn't typical of human biology. He mentally frowned. Her neurons were, in effect, regenerating. Regenerating. Rassilon. His mind reeled. What did this mean?

Anxiety began to saturate Rose's mind. She had sensed the change in his energy. Making an effort to soothe her by purposefully calming himself and repeating soothing words into her consciousness, he finally felt her slowly relax again.

Trying to maintain his equilibrium, he mulled over what was observing. He suspected that her interference with the vortex had everything to do with it. She did, after all take the power fully into herself. By all accounts, she should have died. Even after he took the energy from her by way of their first ever kiss, her body really should never have been able to cope with what had happened. He'd had to chalk it up to being a miracle until now. What other way could she possibly have survived it? Even his body had to regenerate after having housed the vortex for a quarter of the time she had had it in her. Her body had to pay a price. And he was looking at it. Maybe the price had been immortality? Certainly, from what he was seeing, it meant at least that her life span would be extended. By how much? Oh, the possibilities. His heart filled with selfish joy. He could be with her. Not just for a few meager years, either. For his lifetime, maybe? They would have to run tests, but it was certainly a possibility.

Knowing that he had already been lurking in Rose's mind for quite a while now, he regretfully moved away from the miracle he'd been observing and started looking in earnest for the memories he came for, all the while making sure Rose remained calm. It didn't take much more time before he found the offending tangle of nerves that formed the hated memories he sought. Now that he was literally faced with them, the Doctor weighed his options. He could sever contact to the whole area or he could erect walls around it. If he destroyed all the pathways leading to and coming from these memories, there would be no chance of ever retrieving them. The memories themselves would eventually wither and die. Walls would leave options for the future. If Rose ever felt she needed to know, for whatever reason, he could effectively take the walls down and grant her access. Anger spread through him again at the creatures who dared to submit his precious girl to such an assault. No. He wouldn't allow Rose to ever suffer at their hands again, even if just through memories.

It took a short while for the Doctor to sever all the pathways to and from the area. He felt Rose tense slightly as he worked, knowing that the sensation was likely uncomfortable. Finally finished and satisfied with his work, the Doctor pulled back and into her welcoming consciousness and sent reassuring feelings through her mind to tell her all was well. Once again he was surrounded by her delicious energy. Knowing he really shouldn't linger, but unable to coerce himself to pull out, he allowed her essence to caress his presence in her mind. Ohhhh, but this felt _so good_.

He suddenly became aware of a soft, but insistent pressure on his physical frame, pulling him down. Making himself pay attention, he realized Rose was pulling him on top of her. He felt her lips on his as she drew his head to hers.

Needing no more encouragement, the Doctor claimed her lips and mouth in a hard, needy kiss. Rose groaned under him and he felt a surge of pride. He had drawn that from her. Severing their physical link, the Doctor climbed off of her for a moment to pull back the sheets. He lay beside her, careful not to touch her as he did so. Suddenly bereft of his mind in hers, Rose groaned in disapproval. The Doctor knew how she felt, because the sudden emptiness in his mind was almost painful. But he had to make sure she really understood what she was getting into, even though every aching part of him wanted only to claim her as his, consent be damned.

"Rose, we have to talk," he said seriously, looking grave, though still flushed from their snog.

Rose's returning gaze was confused and worried. "What is it?"

"I just need to make sure this is what you want," he started. Rose quickly shook her head and made to protest, but the Doctor cut her off. "I don't mean just the physical intimacy, Rose. I can't even tell you how much I've wanted to be with you that way... and it seems you wouldn't mind that kind of closeness with me, too." Rose blushed, looking back at him shyly. He loved that her pink skin gave away so much of what she felt. "But Rose, if we do this... it means more than just a shag. I've been in your mind." The Doctor stopped to assess the impact of his words. Rose merely stared back at him expectantly waiting for more information. He pressed on. "When a Time Lord enters the mind of someone he's attracted to, it initiates a bond. The bond is permanent and creates an emotional 'closeness' that I talked about before. But, Rose, if we... made love, it would seal the bond. You would be mine. I would be yours. The emotional link would be beyond 'close'... we would always be in each other's minds."

The Doctor saw concern cross her lovely features. His heart clenched. She wouldn't want this. How could she? Humans weren't telepathic. She'd never known that kind of intimacy with another person until today. How could he expect her to accept such an invitation.

Rose looked at him, her expression guarded. "And you don't want that with me?" she said, her voice slightly shaky with emotion.

"What?! No! No, Rose. I _do_ want that with you. That's what I'm trying to say. I really do," the Doctor said, almost panicked that his message had been so misread. "But... is that something you would want with _me?_ I'm so.. old. And jaded. I'm no catch, by any stretch of the imagination. I don't deserve you, Rose."

Rose's expression softened to one of understanding and relief. "Doctor, I've wanted you... all of you... for, well, since we met. I can't think of anything I want more than this. I... I love you."

The Doctor's hearts stopped. She loved him. Rassilon.

Rose's voice broke him from his shock. "You don't have to say it back, Doctor. I know you care for me, or you wouldn't want this, yeah?"

The Doctor blinked at her. She was always willing to take less than she deserved. "But Rose, I do want to say it. No. I _need_ to say it, because nothing could be more true. You deserve to hear it. You deserve so much more than that, my precious girl. So," he said, clearing his throat gently, "Rose Tyler, I love you."

He knew he probably looked nervous. He'd never given himself permission to be vulnerable in this way. He searched Rose's face for reassurance. He didn't have to search hard.

"Make love to me," she said simply, and leaned into him.


	7. Chapter 7

"Make love to me." Her request floated from her lips to his ears. He was sure he'd never heard anything as beautiful in his long, long life.

Quickly closing the distance between them, the Doctor wasted no more time. Enough time had been squandered with worry and overthinking. Wrapping his one hand around the back of her head, he pulled her almost roughly to him to claim her mouth. Rose responded in kind, pressing herself up against him so that they almost melded into one as they explored each other. He glided his hand down her back, gently pushing the sheet tucked around her down to expose the top of her backside. He followed the curve of her bottom to firmly cup her and drag her even tighter against him. The increased contact resulted in a hiss of pleasure on his side and a moan on hers. Not releasing his hold on her backside, he abandoned her lips in favour of laving her neck and moving possessively down to nip and suck at the delicate skin at the tops of her breasts.

"Doctor," Rose moaned. Her voice pulsed through him and spoke directly to his groin. Spurred on, he pulled his hands up to fully cup her breasts, revelling in the soft weight of them. Unable to wait any longer, the Doctor sucked one nipple gently into his mouth and rolled the hardened bud with his tongue. Rose arched her back in a reflexive response and the Doctor took her more fully in his mouth as if answering an unspoken request.

"Doctor," Rose repeated breathily, trying to pull him back to her lips. He reluctantly complied, having thoroughly enjoyed exploring her right breast and feeling a bit bereft at having been pulled away before a complete examination of the left. "Doctor... it seems you have me at a disadvantage. You've got clothes on." It was a statement and a request all in one.

"Well, we can't have that, can we, Miss Tyler?" he said, playfully, sitting up on his knees to remove the clothes he'd put on when he and Jack returned to the TARDIS. Rose bit her lip in wonder at the sight before her. The Doctor was undressing. In front of her. Now _this_ was a dream come true. Finally he was down to his pants, but didn't move to pull them off.

"I think fair is fair, don't you?" he said heatedly, and tugged at the sheet that had the nerve to hide Rose's body from him. Rose squeaked as the fabric was pulled from around her, leaving her completely exposed to him. Part of her wanted to curl up and hide, but a bigger part of her was thrilling at the look on his face as he very obviously appreciated her naked body.

"Rassilon, you're beautiful, Rose," he said with reverence. Rose blushed again, but fought against the impulse to pull the covers over her. She wasn't used to such appreciation. Or feeling so exposed. Somehow, though, his hungry eyes on her body seemed not only desirable, but undeniably _right_.

"You're rather impressive yourself," Rose breathed.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it, my beautiful human," the Doctor said, his eyes dark and his lips quirked up in an adorable smile.

"Come here an' prove it, Doctor" Rose cajoled, sticking her luscious tongue between her teeth.

"Oh, I think that can be arranged," the Doctor grinned. "I might need some help with these, though," he said sweetly, gazing down at his boxers.

"Well, all you had to do was ask," Rose said just as sweetly back. She climbed up to sit on her knees in front of him. "Up on your knees, please," she directed. Having been sitting back on his heels, he complied and kneeled in front of her. Scootching a bit closer, Rose trailed her fingers under the band of his pants slowly, and ran them along the inside of the band against his cool skin. The contact of her hands on his skin once again sent shivers of desire through him. Rose smirked slightly at her little triumph. She did that to him. Oh, the power! She bravely pulled the elastic out enough to free the top of his impressive length. _Wow_. He _did _say he was impressive. Remembering to breathe again, she slowly exposed the rest of him to her gaze and was once again quite taken aback by his size. Were all Time Lords like him? Were all his previous bodies like this one? For a moment she pictured his leather clad self and wondered what he would have been like then. _Oh, for heaven's sake, Tyler/i, she mused, iyou've got a completely naked Time Lord at your disposal and all you can do is daydream!_

Popping herself back into reality, she pulled his pants all the way to his knees. "You'll have to lie down if you wish to proceed, sir," Rose said, blinking at him.

"Oh, there's no question that I want to proceed, my precious girl," he smiled, waggling his eyebrows. Lying back so she could completely divest him of his pants, he quickly sat up again, kneeling and leaning back to sit on his heels again. "Turn around," he commanded.

_Oh! Alright._ She did as she was told so that she was kneeling facing away from him. Suddenly she felt his hands on her hips as he guided her back to perch her bottom on his knee. He gently helped her sit so that she was kneeling, her legs parted with her knees outside of his, her lower legs straddling his.

"Lean back," he rasped. She leaned back, resting the back of her head against his shoulder. The Doctor moaned as her body heat covered his chest. Running his hands along her front, cupping her breasts, he moaned again, revelling in her soft curves.

Rose's breath hitched as one of his hands floated down to cover her lower belly, the tips of his fingers playing at the top of her soft thatch of hair. Could she possibly feel any more wanton? All she wanted was his hands on her. He didn't disappoint. He seemed to be slowly worshipping her as he played his fingers through her curls to find sex. _Ohhhh. Oh, God. Doctor!_

For his part, the Doctor was lost in his exploration. She was all he'd dreamed of and more. Allowing his fingers to glide through her wet curls to find her centre, he slid a finger into her. Rose responded by hissing air through her teeth and pressing herself down to feel him more fully. Swiping his finger around and around inside her, Rose's body began to tense deliciously.

"Doctor! Please..." she mewled. The Doctor trailed his other hand down to her mound and deftly found where she needed him to be. Using his fingers to pulse against the tight bundle of nerves nestled at the apex of her thighs, he continued to press rhymically inside her. It wasn't long before Rose came undone above him, calling his name and writhing in sweet agony. Riding out her orgasm, he didn't stop until she slumped forward bonelessly onto her side on the bed.

Lying down behind her to stroke her back, Rose felt his insistent erection pressing against her backside. Turning herself over to face him, Rose reached down between them to find take him in hand. The Doctor's breath caught and his head rolled back, his eyes closing. Rose used the opportunity to trail kisses down his neck and across his chest as she firmly stroked him.

"Ohhhh, Rose..." the Doctor sang as he continued her ministrations. "Rose... I... you need to stop... or… ohhhhh..."

Rose took that as her cue to release him and push him onto his back to climb on top of him. This was it. She took him in hand again and centred him where she wanted him. Sinking slowly down, she watched as his eyes opened wide before squeezing tightly shut. Grasping her hips to stop her from moving, she watched him try to reign in his excitement before releasing her to move on top of him. He filled her so completely, she was glad for the moment to adapt to him. When he felt control enough to let her move, she started slowly, rotating her hips, allowing herself to bask in the full feeling of him inside of her. Enjoying the brilliant tug beginning to pull at her lower belly, she was surprised to find him stilling her movement again, clutching her hips to steady her.

"Rose," he said breathlessly, "can I...?" he asked, his eyes beseeching, reaching his fingertips to press lightly on her temples.

_Oh!_ "Yes, Doctor... please," she heard herself almost beg.

The Doctor smiled sexily and pushed himself into her mind. This time there was nothing tentative about their joining. Rose felt him press into her mind even as his hips rose to encourage her to move above him. She let out a loud gasp as pleasure filled her, body and mind. The Doctor moaned loudly beneath her, and she knew he was close. Their minds caressed each other and before long Rose felt herself pulsing again with wave upon wave of complete and utter joy. At the crest of their combined orgasms, she found herself thrown headlong into bliss as she had never experienced before. Golden light pulsed through and around their combined consciousnesses to seal them together in a blinding fugue. Suddenly, in a soul searing explosion, Rose felt her mind open to the Doctor's. She could feel him... all of him. She could see the world as he saw it. She felt his nerves singing in response to her body above him. She felt his overwhelming joy at their joining. She was part of him. She knew intuitively that he was now part of her as well. The bond.

They both rode out the shuddering end to their orgasms to find completion, both completely spent. Lying exhausted on top of the Doctor, Rose slowly rose off of him to flop down beside him on the bed. She felt giddy. A bubble of laughter escaped her as she lay back, grinning like a loon. Her laughter was infectious, and after a moment of concern at her unprovoked mirth, he found himself giggling alongside her.

"Wow," Rose said, for want of a more creative thing to say.

"Quite," the Doctor grinned back at her.

"I can...you're still in my mind! You're not even touching me!" Rose marvelled, closing her eyes, reaching into herself to give him a mental equivalent of a hug. "Just... wow."

"Oh, Rose... this is only the beginning. You're in my mind too. Watch," the Doctor said, using their link to briefly stroke her in a way she wouldn't forget even if she tried.

Rose inhaled, overtaken by this intense and intimate contact. "Whoa! Oh my God, Doctor," she exhaled.

"Like I said... you're mine. And, Gods help you, Rose, I am yours."

Rose threw her arms around him again and snogged him thoroughly. Rose finally broke their kiss, pulling back to look shyly at him through her thick lashes. "Does this mean that we're married now? I mean, if we were on Gallifrey?" Rose asked, her eyes shining as she studied his gorgeous face.

"Oh, yes, Rose. We're about as married as they come in my culture." Suddenly unsure if she would be alright with this, he quickly looked for any sign of alarm on her beautiful features. All he saw staring back at him was a grinning, sparkling, incredibly happy woman. What could he possibly have done to deserve this? Rose Tyler. His bond mate. Glee swept over him and he hugged her to him a bit tighter. His. Forever. And not just _her_ forever. _His_ forever. He supposed he should tell her... she'd probably like to know, he mused.

"What's going on in that big Time Lord brain of yours, mister?" Rose asked, looking at him suspiciously. "You're being awfully quiet. And _you_ being quiet means something big is floating around in there," she teased, gently poking a finger on his forehead.

The Doctor smiled knowingly, his lips curling in his brilliant sexy smile. "I think you could find out for yourself, my beautiful bond mate," he grinned.

Rose giggled and reached into his mind with hers. _Oh! Ohhhhh._ This was such an incredible feeling. She would never tire of this intimacy with him. That's when she heard him. _Hello, my brilliant girl. I have something to share with you. You know I have the ability to talk you into the next Universe, but I'd rather show you,_ he thought to her.

Within moments, Rose saw the images the Doctor played for her. She saw the two of them. She saw herself being pulled through the basement of Henrik's, his tall, big eared, leather clad self dragging her behind him. The image morphed and she then saw herself, filled with golden light, energy pulsing from her. She felt her lips on his and felt the energy draining from her and into him. The vision then melted into a confusing dark tangle of... strings? _This is your brain, Rose. You're looking at the damage from... what happened to you._ Rose took in this information and took in the carnage being shown to her. Slowly, she began to make out small sparks of light in the tangle before her. As if one cue, the Doctor showed her a close up of the strange phenomenon. As she grew closer she was able to make out the wonder that the Doctor had discovered earlier. "What is it," she breathed out loud.

The Doctor responded in her mind, _Hopefully, it's the answer to my prayers, Rose. I think what you're seeing is regeneration of your neurons. When you took the vortex into you, it changed you, Rose. It looks like, at the very least, your lifespan has tripled. But it's more likely that it's going to lengthen your lifespan to at least the same as mine or longer. I'll know more when I do some tests_.

Rose let this soak in. She might live as long as he would. Her forever now meant so much more. Feeling a tingle of excitement, she realized she might be able to give him what he wanted most. His forever with her in it.

_There's more, though. The kind of regeneration that you're looking at is unheard of in all but one species, Rose. I'm not sure, like I said, I'd have to run more tests, but I think... the vortex may have mutated your DNA to become TNA. You may actually have become a Time Lord._ He paused to let that sink in. He focused on her reaction through their link, and wasn't too surprised to find her confused, elated and worried all at the same time. _Rose? Are you okay?_

Automatically switching to speech out of habit, Rose answered him. "A Time Lord? Like you? But... we didn't use a condom!" Rose worried.

The Doctor looked back at her, wide eyed. A laugh gathered and he smiled a full, brilliant smile before releasing it in loud happy guffah. Rose looked at him, at first a bit annoyed that he was giggling at her, but his laughter was nfectious and she soon found herself giggling along with him. "What?" she asked as she punched him in the arm, still laughing.

"Oh, Rose," he said once his laughter had died down to a manageable chuckle, "Me and my incredible brain just told you that you're probably no longer human, that your entire biology has been rewritten, that you're possibly going to live for thousands of years, and you, my brilliant, practical ex-human, are the smart one who has realized we probably should've used a condom! Ha!" the Doctor laughed again and hugged her to him tightly. Rose smiled broadly into his shoulder and mumbled, "But... should we be worried?"

The Doctor pulled back to look at her, his eyes drinking in his new bond mate. "Oh, Rose. If what we did just now actually creates a life, then it was meant to be and I'd be the happiest man alive. The odds are hugely against it, though, so you needn't worry. We don't even know if I'm right about what's happened to you. Like I said... more tests," he said, tapping her forehead lightly.

Liking his answer, Rose snuggled in against him, leaning her head on his chest. They both lay quietly for a few minutes, enjoying their closeness. Eventually Rose broke the peace by bringing up a rather sore topic for her mate. "Doctor... earlier you said that the creatures that took us... that they hurt _all _of us. Was Jack there, too?"

The Doctor sucked in a breath before answering her. "Yes, he was."

When he didn't elaborate, Rose prompted, "Is he okay?"

Rose felt a pulse of unease through their bond. "He was hurt too, Rose. But not physically. He's pretty shaken up, but he'll be alright. He's resilient." The Doctor knew he had a big conversation ahead of him with their companion, but didn't want to dwell on that now. Not while he had his soft, brilliant bond mate in his arms.

"I hope he'll be okay. We should do something just for him. I mean, we have each other now, yeah? And we've had a fantastic debrief after what I hear was a terrible ordeal. We should make sure Jack gets a holiday somewhere," Rose suggested while drawing small imaginary circles on his bare chest.

The Doctor smiled. "Rose Tyler, have I told you today that I love you?"

Rose grinned. "Why, I believe you have, sir, but you can tell me again. In fact, I insist that you do," Rose said, her tongue tip firmly clamped between her front teeth.

"Then, once again, my beautiful, brilliant, clever bond mate... I love you."

****

FIN


End file.
